About Our Internships

Internships in various sectors

What kind of companies does the Hutong School cooperate with?
Hutong School has a very diverse network of companies in Beijing and Shanghai, ranging from Chinese and foreign multinationals to local and international SME’s. We attach great importance to the quality of the internships and select a company and a position that matches with your skills.

What kind of sectors are the Hutong School partner companies operating in?
Our partner companies are active in a wide range of sectors such as:

• Architecture
• Law
• Finance and Banking
• Real Estate
• Event Management & Promotion
• Consulting
• Tourism
• IT & Telecommunications
• Translation and technical documentation
• etc.

Company types

Hutong School places interns with the following types of companies:
• Foreign start ups and small and medium sized enterprises (SME's)
• Multinationals
• Chinese companies
• Chambers of commerce and NGOs

Start ups and SME's

Many Foreign start ups and SME's are present on the Chinese market.

The presence of Foreign start ups is becoming more and more apparent in China. This is a very common type of company in China due to the rapid development of the Chinese market. Many people see a niche and try to fill the void with their business ideas. Many SME's (mostly subsidiaries of bigger companies already well-established in foreign countries) are establishing a name in the Chinese market where they can find new opportunities to develop.

Since start ups and SME's are mostly run by company owners or top management, they give interns the chance to learn how a business works top to bottom. Start ups and SME's are also most often more open to ideas and creativity. Interns can have a fantastic time if they bring along a positive attitude.

Over the past years, many start ups and SME's have offered our interns permanent positions in China upon completion of their internships. While doing an internship in a start up or SME, keep in mind that you might actually be working for one of tomorrow's greatest companies.

International corporations

International corporations in China are usually quite similar to their counterparts in other countries. They bring with them corporate structures and philosophies that have been developed over decades and define corporations as what they are.

Working for an international corporation means work within highly structured processes and systems. You will be given your own area of responsibility and it is very likely that you will report to a middle manager. There may not be a lot of contact with upper management which does not necessarily mean that you will not get the chance to make your ideas heard. The great plus is that working for an international corporation will give your CV an impressive boost and may also qualify you for future tasks especially within the same framework.

Chinese companies

Chinese companies are the home players in the Chinese market. Compared to the West they have been doing business according to a very different code of conduct, yet the recent economic upswing is to a big extent their accomplishment and therefore a display of their abilities.

Owing to the fact that the concept of internships in the western sense is new to Chinese companies, a placement with them is indeed a great challenge. You have to keep in mind that though things may be handled differently from what you are used to, these ways should not be judged. You will encounter many cross cultural differences during your time at a Chinese company but this also gives you a great chance to understand them. Our multilingual team of HR expert will always be here to support you in this cultural challenge.

For an internship at a Chinese company an intermediate level of Chinese is necessary. If you are keen to do such an internship but need to bring your Chinese up to speed, we recommend you to start with an intensive course and take the internship later.

Chambers of Commerce and NGOs

Chambers of Commerce have been operating in China for a while already. Most countries have a business club established in the big Chinese cities to boost presence and international trade. NGOs are a slightly newer phenomenon.

Chambers of Commerce are a brilliant way to build up a great network in China while working at NGOs can be very rewarding in terms of adding value to your CV.

See our current list of Internship offers.